New Technology Augments MRI Capabilities

Researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix, AZ, USA) have developed a method called periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER), which acquires data in a unique way that allows one to monitor the motion of the patient during the MRI scan. The motion can then be removed.

"While PROPELLER technology continues to be refined, GE [Healthcare, Chalfont S. Giles, UK] has already incorporated the novel method into new medical equipment,” said Dr. Jim Pipe, senior staff scientist in the MRI department at Barrow. "We believe that PROPELLER technology will help drive the future of MRI.”

There are two key applications for this technique. The first is motion-insensitive imaging. For the first time, high-quality MRI scans can be gathered on many sectors of the population who cannot hold still (i.e., children, Parkinson's patients). This is leading the technology to a point where patient motion, which may be the biggest hurdle to obtaining good images, is no longer a problem.

The second application for PROPELLER is stroke imaging. The technology used to identify and characterize strokes, called diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI, is very sensitive to even very little motion in a patient. Prior to PROPELLER, DWI images suffered in quality because the techniques used to decrease this motion sensitivity also reduced image quality. With PROPELLER DWI, small strokes are much easier to identify, grade, and follow during treatment.





Related Links:
Barrow Neurological Institute
GE Healthcare